Guide: How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool

This guide explains how to install and configure a Cardano stake pool from source code on Ubuntu/Debian in a two-node setup comprised of one block-producing node and one relay node. Every Cardano stak

🔧 About This Guide

The How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide is fully open source and fully powered by stake pool operators like you.

Available since 2021 and one of the first resources available online to support Cardano stake pool operations, the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide provides open source educational content that continues to play an essential role in welcoming newcomers to the Cardano ecosystem while also serving as a valuable resource for experienced Cardano community members.

The guide offers complete, accurate and up-to-date information and step-by-step procedures on topics related to operating the Cardano Node and supporting software in practical, real-world stake pool configurations. The guide also explains in detail how to upgrade Cardano Node software.

The design of the guide allows you to scan ahead easily if you read something that you already know. Ongoing support and application of industry standards uniquely differentiate the guide amongst Cardano technical documentation.

Change Pool is the official stake pool of the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide available on CoinCashew. Created in 2021 using the guide, Change Pool makes a commitment to maintaining the guide over time. Change Pool also shares a portion of pool fees received with CoinCashew.

As an alternative to contributing content or making a one-time donation, your delegation to Change Pool offers direct, ongoing financial support for development and maintenance of content for the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide while you receive a return on your investment.

Your delegation is much appreciated in advance. 🙏

👍 Submitting a Technical Support Request

If you encounter issues when using the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide, please contact CoinCashew including relevant details using one of the following channels:

🎉 Introduction

The How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide aims to give you complete, step-by-step instructions to implement a secure Cardano stake pool using the currently recommended software versions.

The guide also aims to give you the understanding and skills you need to perform administrative tasks related to managing and maintaining a stake pool successfully over time.

The guide includes the following parts:

Part I - Installation describes how to secure the Linux computers hosting your Cardano stake pool, as well as how to install Cardano node software and dependent software packages.
Part II - Configuration explains how to set up Cardano nodes to create a stake pool.
Part III - Operation discusses how to create your stake pool.
Part IV - Administration & Maintenance provides procedures that you need to manage your stake pool.
Part V - Tips contains additional procedures to simplify managing your stake pool.

To search the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide, click the magnifying glass () icon in the top right corner of the left navigation.

📄 Change Log

April 26, 2025
- Incorporating revisions to support Cardano Node 10.3.1 and Cardano CLI 10.7.0.0
April 21, 2025
- Fixing error in the Generating Keys for the Block-producing Node topic
- Improving general overview of Cardano network and stake pool architecture
- Clarifying how users may submit technical support requests to CoinCashew
April 19, 2025
- Revising the Benefits of Operating a Cardano Stake Pool topic
- Updating the Prerequisites topic to discuss how to use Testnet environments
- Updating the Starting the Nodes topic to mention the Mithril Client
- Clarifying how to set the counter value in the topic Issuing a New Operational Certificate
- Fixing minor bugs
January 31, 2025
- Updating version numbers for Cardano Node software
- Adding the Benefits of Operating a Cardano Stake Pool topic
- Updating Appendix B - Cardano Resource Index
November 12, 2024
- Updating version numbers for Cardano Node software
- Updating secp256k1 installation procedure
- Improving instructions for using the stake snapshot query
- Incorporating minor fixes and improvements
October 12, 2024
- Updating version numbers to Cardano Node 9.2.1
- Adding version numbers for Cardano CLI
- Updating jquery (jq) commands to reflect the JSON schema for results of the cardano-cli conway query ledger-state command
- Updating gLiveView dashboard image
September 20, 2024
- Adding contributions by (Change Pool) and Latin Stake Pools
  - Incorporating revisions for Cardano Node 9.2.0
  - Removing references to legacy network topology
  - Revising material related to peer-to-peer networking
  - Creating the Delegating to a Representative topic
  - Creating the Implementing Peer Sharing topic
  - Increasing precision of transaction fee calculations
  - Updating the procedure to install pre-built binaries in the Upgrading a Node topic
  - Updating cardano-cli commands to specify a network era
  - Adding resources related to governance in the Cardano Resource Index
  - Including miscellaneous minor updates and improvements
July 8, 2024
- Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
  - Incorporating revisions for Cardano Node 9.0.0
April 10, 2024
- Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
  - Incorporating updates for Cardano Node 8.9.1
  - Creating the Enabling Peer-to-peer Network Topology topic
  - Adapting existing content to reflect peer-to-peer network topology
February 3, 2024
- Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
  - Creating the Cardano Resource Index
  - Removing out-of-date information related to delegation strategies that founding entities no longer use
  - Distinguishing between legacy and peer-to-peer topologies
  - Updating system requirements
  - Incorporating miscellaneous minor improvements to procedures
  - Updating broken hyperlinks
January 2, 2024
- Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
  - Updating prerequisites and procedures for Cardano Node 8.7.2
  - Updating information on Reducing Missed Slot Leader Checks and Improving Cardano Node Performance
June 29, 2023
- Adding contributions by [FRADA] pool
  - Auditing Your Nodes Configuration
  - Using KES Keys / OP Certificate Rotate Companion Script
May 18, 2023
- Improving details on issuing a new operational certificate for stake pools prior to minting a first block
May 9, 2023
- Updating procedures for Cardano Node 8.0.0
January 27, 2023
- Updating procedures for Cardano Node 1.35.5
August 22, 2022
- Updating procedures for Cardano Node 1.35.3 (Change Pool)
June 8, 2022
- Testing and revising procedures in Part I - Installation and Part II - Configuration (Change Pool)
April 23, 2022
- Updating Cardano Node installation procedures to reflect current software versions (Change Pool)
March 22, 2022
- Updating the Upgrading a Node topic to reflect current software versions (Change Pool)
- Re-organizing content to improve loading speed
- Improving Table of Contents (massive contribution by Change Pool)
November 10, 2021
- Adding high-level explanation of Topology API
- Increasing the cardano-node service unit file timeout from 2 to 300 seconds
- Adding a collection of Community Inspired Projects built by this amazing community
- Adding cardano-node RTS flags to reduce chance of missed slot leader checks
- Adding Leaderlog changes and improvements
- Increasing minimum RAM requirements to 12GB
August 27, 2021
- Updating guide for Alonzo release 1.29.0.
- Incorporating various fixes to testnet / alonzo / storage requirements / cli commands
- Adding the section Running Leaderlog Using the stake-snapshot Command
- Adding the section Installing CNCLI
May 13, 2021
- Updating guide for release cardano-node/cli v1.27.0 changes
- Adding Stake Pool Operator's Best Practices Checklist
- Adding the topic Monitoring Node Security Using OSSEC Server and Slack (contribution by Billionaire Pool)
- Adding the topic how to Securing Your Stake Pool Using a Hardware Wallet

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